Six dead, 40 missing as migrant boat capsizes near Italy, says UN
Six migrants and refugees have died, and 40 others remain missing after a boat carrying them capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, a United Nations official has confirmed.
The inflatable dinghy had set off from Tunisia on Monday with 56 people on board, according to Chiara Cardoletti, the UNHCR representative for Italy. 'Still too many dead in a new shipwreck in the Mediterranean,' she said on Wednesday.
Italian coastguard vessels have rescued ten survivors and resumed search efforts for the missing, Italy's news agency ANSA reported. The shipwreck occurred near the island of Lampedusa, a key arrival point for migrants attempting the dangerous journey from North Africa to Europe.
According to AGI news agency, survivors said some of the missing had fallen overboard amid rough seas. The passengers were reportedly from Ivory Coast, Mali, The Gambia, and Cameroon.
Meanwhile, a separate group of 40 migrants arrived on Lampedusa after crossing from Sfax, Tunisia, on metal boats. Reports indicate that five landings took place on the island on Tuesday, bringing 213 people to shore. This has increased the number of people housed at Lampedusa's reception centre to 230.
Italy's Interior Ministry reports that 8,743 migrants have arrived in the country so far this year, slightly surpassing last year's figures for the same period.
The Mediterranean remains one of the world's deadliest migration routes. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 31,500 people have died or gone missing in the region since 2014. This year alone, the death toll has reached at least 246.
Human rights organizations continue to call for stronger rescue efforts and safer migration routes to prevent further loss of life.
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